Redolent Brother from Another Mother

Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo are different grapes. They have no known genetic relation, and they have deep roots in their respective homelands of Burgundy and Piedmont. For all their obvious differences, there is a school of thought in the wine world that the two grapes are “brothers from another mother”. For all their distinction, they both reach their greatest heights with elegance, rather than raw power. These are two grapes that don’t have to be loud to be heard, and that shared personality trait has tantalized winemakers and wine drinkers for centuries.

Enter Jon Larson and Boyd Pearson, brothers of another mother of another sort. Two friends in the business of making and selling fermented things. One day in 2015, the two of them stumbled into a stray ton of grapes without a home, and turned those grapes into Redolent Wine Company, a source of food-friendly, discursive wines made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Nebbiolo. Somewhere along the way, Jon and Boyd had the curious notion to co-ferment Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley with Nebbiolo from the Columbia Gorge. This wine offers all the best parts of these two A-lister grapes, but neither outshines the other. Aromas of inky black cherry, rose petal, orange rind, damp soil, anise, clove and potpourri lead into a palate with all the velvety grace of Pinot Noir and all the nervous energy of Nebbiolo. Ripe raspberry, hibiscus, cherry drop, and tarry earth linger through the finish that simply begs for another bite of whatever you’ve cooked up: something fresh off the grill and sticky with BBQ sauce, or cioppino, or pizza. This is a wine that can handle foods with strong personalities.